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Congressman Cohen Votes to Raise Minimum Wage

July 18, 2019

Press Release

First increase in federal minimum wage in more than a decade

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today voted for and the House passed H.R. 582, the Raise the Wage Act, legislation that would raise the minimum wage to $15 by 2025 and give 33 million Americans a raise. The vote was 231 to 199.

After the vote, Congressman Cohen made the following statement:

“Raising the minimum wage makes sense. This increase will lift 1.3 million people out of poverty, including 600,000 children. Congress has not raised the minimum wage in more than ten years, and this raise will put an estimated $7.7 billion back into the pockets of families living below the poverty line. Increasing the minimum wage not only helps working people, it stimulates the economy.”

The current federal minimum wage is $7.25. The Economic Policy Institute estimates that 145,700 workers in the 9th Congressional District would benefit by the minimum wage increase and would earn on average $3,900 more per year once it reached $15.